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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · patient · date · cue · straw · rush · mine · chair

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — a face
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mine — for digging
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. date — the fruit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cue — a hint
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rush — hurry
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mug — a cup
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chair — a leader
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com